What causes fainting due to coughing? (Consultation of the disease of the day)

Do you feel dizzy and experience fainting while coughing? Find out if it can really hurt you in any way.

Fainting Due to cough is a condition called cough syncope. It usually occurs with persistent, prolonged and severe coughing episodes. It is more common in men than in women. What happens is that coughing stimulates the reflexes of the autonomic nervous system that connect the brain, heart and respiratory system. This causes a temporary drop in blood pressure. In addition, with severe episodes of cough, the pressure inside the chest increases further affecting the flow of blood to and from the heart. As a result, the heart rate decreases and with interrupted blood flow, the brain receives less oxygen, which ultimately causes it to faint or pass out.

Fainting while coughing is a transient phase, but in any case you should seek medical help for a prolonged and persistent cough immediately. Also, if you continue to faint with each episode of severe cough, this could affect your brain. You may have to have blood tests and an electrocardiogram to rule out other causes of fainting. An x-ray may be required to determine the cause of the cough. A neurological examination may be required to rule out other causes of fainting related to the central nervous system (CNS).